Apertured slidable member for air conditioners



March 3, 1970 R. E. CAMPBELL ET L 3,498,080

7 APERTURED SLIDABLE MEMBER FOR AIR CONDITIONERS Filed April 8, 1968 l 2o :0 FIG-I I 'In Will f, o u H 2::

| o o 3 II I 55 I 83 INVENTORS. ROBERT E. CAMPBELL. GEORG L. B'ON.

ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O 3,498,080 APERTURED SLIDABLE MEMBER FOR AIR CONDITIONERS Robert E. Campbell, East Syracuse, and George L. Ron, Fayetteville, N.Y., assignors to Carrier Corporation,

Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 719,486 Int. Cl. F25d 21/14; F25b 39/04 US. Cl. 62-285 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a condensing unit for an air-conditioning system, the unit being designed for outdoor placement upon a pad at ground level or upon the roof of a residence or commercial building, or in other suitable locations. A unit of this character conventionally has a plurality of drain openings in the base thereof to permit the outflow of any moisture which accumulates therein from rain, snow or the like. Necessarily, these openings or slots must be sized adequately for properdrainage; however, it is desirable that they also be employed to receive fastening means utilized during shipment of the unit and for mounting of the same upon installation. Electrical qualifications dictate to a large measure the sizing of the openings, in order to reduce the possibility of danger to the surrounding environment in the event of a circumstance exemplified by a short circuit in the internal mechanism of the unit. To meet these qualification requirements without sacrifice to adequate drainage, and the cooperative function of the same openings to receive bolt means or the like during location upon a shipping base and later securement to an installation support, applicants have provided a relatively inexpensive apertured closure member designed for ready snap-on attachment to the unit base structure surrounding the drain openings and which renders the unit compliant with electrical qualification requirements, does not interfere with the drainage capabilities of the pan openings, and yet also permits ready securement of fastening means therethrough.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The instant invention features a flat and preferably generally rectangular clip member having a centrally located opening therein, the clip member being slidably engageable with an apertured embossment in a fluid receiving receptacle, typified by a base pan on a condensing unit associated with refrigeration equipment serving as part of an air-conditioning system. The base pan apertures conventionally take the form of slots circumferentially disposed along the periphery of the pan lower surface, and the clip member of this invention is constructed with a plurality of outwardly turned dependent lugs adapted to make firm and slidable contact with opposed surfaces of the apertured embossment providing the pan drain openings. Passageways through the clip member and pan provide the requisite drainage capability, but further,

Patented Mar. 3, 1970 the danger of outward flow of deleterious substance is substantially eliminated without sacrifice to the adjustability feature of the slots for the reception of fastening means engageable with the condensing unit base and supporting structure therefor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of an exemplary condensing unit, with portions thereof broken away and other portions taken in section, to fully illustrate the environment of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view through the base pan and showing the clip member in place; and

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view illustrating the clip member and base pan rim structure.

Referring to the drawings, and first to FIGURE 1 thereof, the condensing unit of this invention is designated in its entirety by the numeral 10, and in the illustrative embodiment shown, comprises a generally cylindrical substantially perforate body portion 11 comprising a plate fin coil formed to the shape shown which mounts at its upper end of a dome or cap portion 12 provided with a foraminous top wall or screen 13 for air exit purposes. At the opposite end of the body portion 11 the condenser unit embodies a base portion 14 which seats upon and is integrally formed with a circumferential generally U-shaped channel section 15.

The interior of the condenser unit 10, as defined by the portions 11, 12, and 14, embraces a generally centrally located refrigerant compressor 16, which may be suitably secured to the base portion by bracket means 17, together with a condenser coil 18 which is substantially circumferentially coextinsive with the inner periphery of the main body portion 11, and a fan motor 19 rigidly received in support members 20 preferably attached to the dome 12 of the condenser unit. The fan motor 19 by means of a shaft 21 actuates propeller fan blades 22 to perform functions well known to the art. As is also apparent, the unit 10 has incorporated therein a control panel and the requisite electrical circuitry connected to the elements housed therein, which have not been shown or described since they do not constitute the essential features of the present invention.

In a manner which is now believed to be clear, the compressor 16 withdraws relatively cool gaseous refrigerant from evaporative cooling means (not shown), compresses it and feeds the same to the condenser coil 18 at substantially the same pressure. The refrigerant is condensed and is directed to the evaporator through expansion means (not shown) wherein it cools rapidly to a gaseous state. The fan means 22 in the structure shown function to draw air across the condenser coil 18 to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant therein to condensation temperature.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, the circumferentially extending channel 15, which may be preferably press formed as a part of the base portion 14, has at spaced locations thereabout apertured embossments 23 taking the form in the present invention of elongated drain openings or slots 24 surrounded on opposite sides by upstanding inwardly arcuately turned flanges 25. The upper surfaces of the flanges receive in slidable snap-fit relation therewith centrally apertured clip means 26 which form an important part of the instant invention.

Each of the clip means or washers 26 may be substantially rectangular, and as appears best in FIGURE 3, extends longitudinally and transversely outwardly of the bounds of the drain openings, which may befour in numher in an exemplary embodiment of the structure herein disclosed. Each slidable clip or washer is desirably of sheet metal construction and body portion 26b thereof is stamped or otherwise formed to provide a plurality of dependent lugs or tabs 27 surrounding an aperture 28 overlying each of the drain openings 24 in the rim 15 of the base pan 14. The opposite ends of each clip member may be tapered as at 26a, and the entire body can of course alternatively be fabricated of any suitable plastic material.

The essentially planar clip member can be readily positioned in firm and yet movable relation to the flanges 25 forming a part of the apertured embossment 23 by merely pressing the same into frictional engagement with the flanges and then sliding the clip to a predetermined position in which the aperture 28 and slot 24 not only overlie one another, but also provide sufiicient clearance flexibility to accommodate adjustment of bolts or like fastening means securing the condensing unit base 14 to a pallet or like structure for transit, or attachment to a suitable mounting member for permanent afiixation to a building or means appurtenant thereto. Further, and contributing importantly to the merit of this invention, the apertured adjustable member 26 in cooperation with the opening 24 provides adequate fluid drainage from the condenser unit interior and therebeneth, but by a reducapertured substantially planar member overlying at least one of said openings and including depending tabs engageable with and in snap-fitting contact with the surfaces of said base portion surrounding said openings for limited slidable movement therealong.

2. A structure of the character defined in claim 1, in which the spaced openings in the base portion are provided by apertured embossments, and in which the depending tabs are in snug fitting relation with the embossed surfaces.

3. A unitary air-conditioning condensing unit, comprising connecting body, dome and base portions defining therewithin a chamber, compressor means, condensing means and fan means housed within said chamber, said compressor means being eifective to receive relatively cool gaseous refrigerant from a source, raise the temperature and pressure thereof and pass the same to said condensing means wherein the gas is transferred to a liquid state, said fan means creating an air flow over said condensing means to lower the temperature of the refrigerant therein to its condensation point, said base portion having a plurality of drain openings therein and mounting thereover apertured slidable plate means effective to permit securement of the base to supporting structure without substantial interference to the flow of drainage through said openings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 62507 

